Leading Republican Demands That White House Fire 'Green Collar' Adviser

Updated 4:52 p.m.By Garance Franke-Ruta
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs offered few signs of support at his daily briefing Friday for embattled White House adviser Van Jones, saying only, "He continues to work for the administration."

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), called on Jones to quit or be fired, saying, "His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration or the public debate."

Jones, author of "The Green Collar Economy" and, since March, the special adviser for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), has faced withering criticism from conservatives for weeks over his activist background. Fox News host Glenn Beck has been a leading voice in the criticism. (Notably, Beck's advertisers are facing boycott calls from a group Jones helped found.)

The blog Gateway Pundit reported Thursday that Jones signed in 2004 a petition from 911Truth.org. The petition questioned whether Bush administration officials "may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war."

"In recent days some in the news media have reported on past statements I made before I joined the administration -- some of which were made years ago. If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize. As for the petition that was circulated today, I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever," he said in a statement issued by the CEQ.

It was his second apology of the week. On Wednesday, Jones apologized for labeling Republicans with a vulgarism in a February speech, saying that his comments were "clearly inappropriate."

Pence cited "recent revelations concerning the associations and statements of the president's green jobs czar" in calling for Jones's ouster.

Gibbs was asked about Jones at Friday's press briefing, and answered, "He continues to work in the administration, and I'll refer you to the statement that CEQ put out last night about this." Questioned further, the White House spokesman added, "I think, if you refer to the statement, he apologizes."

Pressed again about how the administration can "tolerate somebody who subscribes to a ... insane conspiracy theory as a senior adviser," Gibbs said, "It's not something that the president agrees with, and again I'd point you to the statement from CEQ."

On Friday, Sen. Christopher Bond (Mo.), the ranking Republican on the Green Jobs and the New Economy subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee -- which has oversight of the green jobs effort -- called for a congressional oversight hearing into Jones's "fitness" for his position.

In a letter to Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), the subcommittee's chair, Bond said he sought the hearing on Jones "to reassure the American people that their government is safe from his divisive, incendiary and ultimately counterproductive sentiments."

"I can imagine few sentiments more repulsive to our brave fighting soldiers and the victims of the 9/11 terror tragedy than to think the U.S. government deliberately allowed the events of 9/11 to occur," Bond wrote to Sanders.

On Friday, ABC News unearthed a Web posting of a January 2002 prospectus for "A New, Biweekly, Tabloid Newspaper Opposing the 'War on Terrorism'," which listed Jones as part of the organizing committee. The prospectus, which laid out plans for fundraising from foundations, said the paper would "track the development of the war at home and abroad, spotlighting the dire consequences of Bush's program for human beings and the earth" and act as "an entryway for new people into the peace and justice movement."

The video of Jones insulting Republicans was published on YouTube by the group DefendGlenn.com. That group is fighting a boycott of the Fox News host by activist group ColorofChange.org, which Jones helped found in 2005.

"He is now at the highest levels of power, and is targeting Glenn Beck for exposing his true agenda," the group said on YouTube in posting the video online.

Beck's expose' about the Green Jobs Czar has nothing to do with Van Jones. It has everything to do with Obama and HIS agenda for America. Beck has also reported:

1) Jones is an avowed communist.
2) Jones was also a co-founder of the Apollo Alliance along with Jeff Jones (no relation).
3) The, Apollo Alliance, while co-opting a good many upstanding business people and citizens, has some suspect views on a variety of issues.
4) Jeff Jones co-founded the Weather Underground with Bill Ayers.
5) Jeff Jones works as an advisor to Gov. Patterson on how to maximize stimulus money coming to the state, and has ties to ACORN.

Beck's list of complaints about this admistrations ties to radicals is endless.

Obama has said we should judge him by the company he keeps. Typically he highlights those associations as Warren Buffet, Jim Jones, et al. In using Obama's own metric however, it becomes necessary to ask, "how many people with extreme environmental, racist, socialist, communist, Marxist, anti-American views does he get to hire/associate with before we take him at his word and start judging him by the company he keeps?"

For all I know Beck is full of it. But there was a time when the WaPo and other news outlets would have done their own reporting to either verify or discredit Beck's claims. The fact that they haven't in this case leads me to believe Beck got it exactly right, and that Jones' resignation is the tip of the iceberg.

Van Jones is a man of integrity who is not afraid to tell the truth about what he sees and feels and knows. What he said about the Bush administration and 911 and about obstructionist Republicans is sound and sane and supported by an enormous collective of Americans who love this country and our soldiers. Clear headed, free thinking, courageous Americans like Van Jones have always been opposed by those who have political agendas that serve themselves rather than the American people.

To Revelwoodie:
I worked at the World Financial Center; lived in NYC; friends and neighbors of mine disappeared that day. I pulled pieces of paper and ash off my firescape. I am a Democrat. I do not care what Republicans do with their birthers and as far as I know no Republican congressman has supported them. I do very much care that Van Jones is in this Administration and I want him OUT. This is deeply offensive to anyone who lived thru that day. How dare you suggest otherwise.

Any person either elected or appointed should be of American values first. I have read and heard this fanatic Van Jones make statements that should have the Government WATCHING him not Hiring him. I enlisted in the service during the Viet Nam War and came home to voices of hate for our doing our duty to America. Today my elected President hires people with un-American values. I should have died back then so as to not have to watch my country change. Double standards have replaced moral leadership. I listened and applauded as our great nation showed the world that in America all are equal. The truth is Americans should be seen, taxed and remain silent. I must have fallen asleep for many years and missed the battle for America. Please be kind enough to let me know the where an when of the battle fought in SILENCE that America lost. Also if there are any survivors please send help to get me back to the America I was born in, I would hate to die on this now foreign soil.

Only White Children commit acts like Columbine? African American Children may shoot each other, but they don't shoot up the whole school, only white children do that? This is the man Obama chooses to advise him and be responsible for tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money? This is a man who is going to treat all American equally?

I'll tell you what, Mr. Bond. We'll start throwing our people under the bus for being "truthers," when you start doing the same to the "birthers" in your ranks.

The hypocrisy here is stunning. Obama is expected to fire an adviser for signing a petition five years ago, for which he has since apologized, while Republicans can stand on the floor of the People's House and demand to see Obama's birth certificate. Or claim that Obama's health plan is a secret plot to kill old people. Or that the census is a prelude to Republicans being rounded up and sent to FEMA camps. Etc., etc., ad nauseum.

I'll make a deal with you, Republicans: We'll give you Van Jones if you give us Michelle Bachman. Sound good?

Jones is entitled to his opinions and beliefs. When they become policy there is a problem. The biggest problem I have with Jones is that he is incompetent. He hasn't created a single green job because they can't decide what a green job is, something that will take millions of dollars to define I am sure and once they finally do decide what a green job is he still won't be able to create one because he has never created a job. Taking money from one hand of the govt. and giving it to another hand of the govt. doesn't count. Read the AP story about the weatherization programs that were supposed to be funded with the stimulus money, we are nearly into the cold season and not one dime has been spent because they can't figure out how to funnel the money to the non-profits. Not one house has been weatherized, not one laid off contruction worker has been hired. They can't even manage creating non green jobs let alone green jobs. And we are supposed to trust them with health care when they can't even put in a window.

You know the leftist water carrying state run Obama washington post had to be dragged kicking and screaming to cover this story. Hell, look where they buried it..I can just hear the phone call from katherine weymouth to the white house, "hello barack, yeah look we held out as long as possible on running this story, we'll bury it as best we can. No hard feelings?"

I think that everyone in Washington...democrat, republican, gay, independent, should be fired. NOW! The prevalent attitude amongst elected officials is that they belong to an elite "club" that once they are in it they are there for life. They don't care what you or I think.

It has to be State by State, district by district...make each person elected pledge to go to Washington, read and study bills.

Require them to file a synopsis online of 1 to 10 pages on any vote involving taxpayer money. They would then have a body of work to review and not a bunch of speeches to empty seats in congress.

Eliminate any amendments to bills which are not directly related to the bill's subject.

Limit all campaign spending by equal sharing of all funds donated into a federal election pool.

Overhaul the tax code and eliminate all deductions, loopholes and establish a flat tax on all income, wages, interest, bonus, dividends. Eliminate deductions for Church properties, income producing entities.

Get our military out of EVERY foreign country, close all the bases and quit sending money to these countries. Have them secure our borders and train and equip them to be the most deadly force on the planet when provoked.

Then the healthcare thing can be worked out along with charging employers of illegals to pay for health care when these people show up at a hospital and requiring them to be sent home to apply for work visas legally.

So in answer to your question, who do I propose be President, I can say that he does exist in America..among those who work hard, pay taxes and raise great kids. Those who value free enterprise and our way of life which is still the best on earth. Our poor are considered wealthy by most countries standards. I do know that Obama does not fit the bill...in 10 months he has blown it! I would however, change my mind if he came out tomorrow and said hey, forget health care until we can get the tax code fixed.....

mcmxi said that I wrote the following:
Bgphil said the following, I put in may comments in brackets: President Barack Obama, who won the Presidency in a free and fair election by the American people despite claims to the contrary from Republicans, who have called him - a Secret Muslim, a terrorist, a Kenyan, a socialist, a Nazi, a fascist, an Authoritarian, a despot, a dictator, a liar, a crook, a crony, a cheat, a racist and a reverse racist, he has been called everything but the one word that we know is behind all of the others and is on the tip of every single rabid right wing lunatic fringers[both parties and both the left and right have these] tongue; a N**G*R.
/////////////////////////////////////////

You claimed I authored this quote...
GO BACK AND READ, it was a post written by "drainyou" the post represents a wacko leftist idiot. Although some of the crooked, cheating liar and racist do seem to be descriptive of Obama. I did not author the rant!

Bgphil said the following, I put in may comments in brackets: President Barack Obama, who won the Presidency in a free and fair election by the American people despite claims to the contrary from Republicans, who have called him - a Secret Muslim, a terrorist, a Kenyan, a socialist, a Nazi, a fascist, an Authoritarian, a despot, a dictator, a liar, a crook, a crony, a cheat, a racist and a reverse racist, he has been called everything but the one word that we know is behind all of the others and is on the tip of every single rabid right wing lunatic fringers[both parties and both the left and right have these] tongue; a N**G*R.

The 2009 Republican party is not only a mess, it's a damn freak show. Their motto should be: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country, unless the President is a Democrat....or Black!" [Have you ever looked into how many white people voted for Obama?]

In only 7 months, 7 Damned Months we have seen numerous blatant acts of racism and race baiting from the Republican party[examples please?], and not once, NOT ONCE, has a single adult among them stood up and said ENOUGH OF THIS, I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! Not once![you obviously don't listen very well or you would have heard that some have done this...Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, etc...but you think they are nut jobs so you don't listen to them you just accuse them without much to back you up. Ask before you shoot!]

Republican politicians have not been ashamed of themselves enough to bite their tongues either. They praise right wing terrorists[this comment puts you on the same level that you think they are. Name calling in response to name calling only puts you down], they advocate violence[example please?] and the threat of violence against those whom they oppose[example please?], they refuse to tell their base to act like adults and civilized people, and their base just goes farther and farther into total whackjob land every single day.

It's obvious by now that one of the main objections from the nutjobs who make up what's left of the Republican party to this President is rooted in his skin color and his ethnic heritage. The fact that he is Black has "broke their brains"...though, it's a reach to assume that the average Republican still has a brain if they are still hanging on to the elephants corpse.

If Republicans ever wonder why their party has been reduced to the point that the only place that they still have an electoral stonghold in is the South, all they have to do is look in the mirror. People don't like haters [this whole comment sounds quite hatefull on your part bgphil] and you'll never win when your entire reason for being is to insult and alienate [you assume an awfull lot about people you don't even know] your fellow American citizens with whom you disagree.[there is nothing wrong with disagreeing]

[By the way what do you think of Van Jones? He is what the article is about.]

Ok, so some people think Republicans are nuts others think democrats are nuts. what do you think about the issues at hand? You sound like a bunch of wokers arguing about whos better, instead of just using common sense to get the job at hand done.

Yeah, and right wing lunatic fringe nutbags like you were standing up on your hind legs and clapping like trained seals when Bush and Cheney started a war based on lies (Iraq) costing us billions in tax payer dollars not to mention the unnecessary loss of lives on both sides, committed war crimes and tortured in our name and destroyed our ecomomy.

The only ones left in the 2009 Republican party are the dumber than a brick toothless rednecks (you) who make up their base, everyone else already left.

Republicans calling on anyone to resign is not only hypocritical, it's laughable.

------------------------
wrong. it is LAUGHABLE that someone calling themselves president thought he could get away with this.

sure he has his loyal band in whose eyesight he's never wrong, but he forgot the other and larger half of america which includes some who voted for him.

this is why he set the rules that his czars are not to be questioned by anyone but him? well maybe we cant question them but we sure can fire them - - by pressure and demands and not giving obama anything he asks UNTIL he gets rid of the communists.

holy moley.... have you seen the amount of damaging videos out there about on this guy? this stuff comes from HIS MOUTH AND HIS FACE ON VIDEO - - there is no way to try and hide it.

if rev. wright was bad. this has got to be called the worst. how will obama explain this away? some of this stuff was said as recently as MARCH of this year, so Jones cant say this is something he did as a youngster. this guy says bluntly that he is using the Green Job as a coverup to right the wrongs that has been done against minorities? will someone please tell him the way to correct wrongs is by being right each day of his life?

he calls himself a marxist-leninist and obama STILL takes him on? why? (rhetorical, of course).

Republicans calling on anyone to resign is not only hypocritical, it's laughable.

President Barack Obama, who won the Presidency in a free and fair election by the American people despite claims to the contrary from Republicans, who have called him - a Secret Muslim, a terrorist, a Kenyan, a socialist, a Nazi, a fascist, an Authoritarian, a despot, a dictator, a liar, a crook, a crony, a cheat, a racist and a reverse racist, he has been called everything but the one word that we know is behind all of the others and is on the tip of every single rabid right wing lunatic fringers tongue; a N**G*R.

The 2009 Republican party is not only a mess, it's a damn freak show. Their motto should be: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country, unless the President is a Democrat....or Black!"

In only 7 months, 7 Damned Months we have seen numerous blatant acts of racism and race baiting from the Republican party, and not once, NOT ONCE, has a single adult among them stood up and said ENOUGH OF THIS, I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! Not once!

Republican politicians have not been ashamed of themselves enough to bite their tongues either. They praise right wing terrorists, they advocate violence and the threat of violence against those whom they oppose, they refuse to tell their base to act like adults and civilized people, and their base just goes farther and farther into total whackjob land every single day.

It's obvious by now that one of the main objections from the nutjobs who make up what's left of the Republican party to this President is rooted in his skin color and his ethnic heritage. The fact that he is Black has "broke their brains"...though, it's a reach to assume that the average Republican still has a brain if they are still hanging on to the elephants corpse.

If Republicans ever wonder why their party has been reduced to the point that the only place that they still have an electoral stonghold in is the South, all they have to do is look in the mirror. People don't like haters and you'll never win when your entire reason for being is to insult and alienate your fellow American citizens with whom you disagree.

well sonny the battle for me began when bush decided he was going to shock and awe irag and the Americans as well. i voted for him and i regret it now. most people that you talk to feel that 9/11 is a very incomplete story. there are just to many things that aren't right. im glad you finally woke up and joined the rest of us. i do thank you for your service to this country, and even if i disagree with something i would never blame our your troops doing what they are trained to do and that's to be the best fighting force in the world

Any person either elected or appointed should be of American values first. I have read and heard this fanatic Van Jones make statements that should have the Government WATCHING him not Hiring him. I enlisted in the service during the Viet Nam War and came home to voices of hate for our doing our duty to America. Today my elected President hires people with un-American values. I should have died back then so as to not have to watch my country change. Double standards have replaced moral leadership. I listened and applauded as our great nation showed the world that in America all are equal. The truth is Americans should be seen, taxed and remain silent. I must have fallen asleep for many years and missed the battle for America. Please be kind enough to let me know the where an when of the battle fought in SILENCE that America lost. Also if there are any survivors please send help to get me back to the America I was born in, I would hate to die on this now foreign soil.

"Where Rush and company come near to sedition is in their expressed hope that the President of the United States fails in dealing with the morass left to him by his predecessors."
///////////////////////////////////////////

Wrong. Rush wants Obama to fail in:

1.getting our government to adopt his socialist schemes whether from healthcare intrusion or removing individual rights to own a gun or not join a union.

2.indoctrinating students from grade school through college.

3.appoint radicals and tax cheats and funnel taxpayer money to groups like ACORN which is under congressional investigation.

4.doubling the so called "morass" left by his predecessor in just 10 months. Bush and Cheney are beginning to look main stream.

By the way, the Sedition act was ended in 1920...violated free speech rights. That protects dumb @ss liberals who make stupid remarks like this Van person.

JohnQuimby wrote:
"Call me a clone but I like this President.
And I've got his back - not because I believe in the man - but because I believe in what I voted for."
////////////////////////////////////////////
Lets see.......you voted for line item veto of all PORK. Right away passed a bill without first reading it that contains massive amounts of PORK.
...............you voted for bi-partisan inclusion to get congress to WORK.
...............you voted for CHANGE and got more of the same Washington double talk. It has not changed just more questions about character, intelligence and work ethic.
...............you voted for HOPE and that is about all that is left to spend. So the PROMISE that there would not be one nickel of additional tax placed on those earning under $250,000 is now looking like another cheap political ruse.

Guv'nor Pawl$nty should step down IMMEDIATELY for making DISRESPECTFUL REMARKS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT. IT IS AN INSULT TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES! RESIGN! RESIGN!! RESIGN!!!! Democrats start a nation wide agitation against this guy. Get him hounded out!!!

Where Rush and company come near to sedition is in their expressed hope that the President of the United States fails in dealing with the morass left to him by his predecessors.

Rush would encourage people to do things to cause the President to fail, just as he advocated having Republicans vote in the Democratic primaries in order to get Hillary to fail, in the mistaken belief that this would enable Republicans to defeat Obama.

There's really no question, if you're an objective observer, that Rush Limbaugh is treasonous.

When you ask your fellow citizens to help you cause your nation's elected leadership to fail, in order to serve your hyper-partisan agenda, you're treasonous.

What would fall short of treason? Trying to convince people that you're right by employing reason.

cdierd1944 wrote:
"However, when you get to promoting rebellion it crosses the line from protests to sedition which is illegal. Beck and Limbaugh have crossed the line. They have promoted rebellion against the democratically elected government of the United States."
///////////////////////////////////////////

I listen to both guys while traveling. Have been for the past few years. I have never heard either promote "rebellion" against the government...There have been plenty of references to democrats and the Obama socialist movement. I have never heard a call to bomb buildings like Ayers, nor have I heard a call to arms over the mindless rants of Barney Frank.

I don't think that they rise to the level of "rebellion" unless your definition of rebellion includes speaking one's mind on a corrupt totally useless political experiment involving Obama, Alinsky, Soros et.al. These politicians are crooked and brimming with socialist evil schemes and that is something Beck and Rush have every right and duty to expose. "Sedition", come on, if you can compose a sentence, then you know better than that!

You can mark me down as rebellious as I don't think that there is one elected official from Obama on down that should keep his or her job.

The congress, both democrat and republican are spoiled prima donnas who do not care what goes on in America unless it is enriching them monetarily or politically.

They should all be fired...even if we have to hire UPS drivers to run congress. They would make better decisions and laws that were at least understandable.

Van Jones is truly a truther. He truly reflects mainstream Democrat thinking. He should retain his job as long as the Democrats dominate Congress, the White House, communications organizations, legal opinion, and educational institutions. Van Jones is a clean and articulate person who states directly what mainstream Democrats think these days, not 20 years ago. The Washington Post is discriminating against him by not sharing what he has accomplished for the Democrats.

HemiHead,
HAW, HAW! Hey, you need to lay off the pot, man. And start taking your meds again. BTW, Cheney -Bush, they saved our @sses but you were probably stoned at the time and didn't even realize what was going on....And the "half brain" thing, oh never mind, that's tooo easy.
===========================
""He shouldn't have to apologize for anything. Bush and that sick terrorist Cheney are the ones that should be on their knees begging for forgiveness. They're the ones that killed all of those people on 9,11. Anyone with half a brain can see that those Towers didn't fall on their own. Look at the North Tower. The top 14 floors tip over (from fire, plane, or whatever reason) and it blows apart 96 "undamaged floors" without the slightest bit on hesitation. Like the energy from 14 floors tipping over wouldn't dissipate through the destruction of 96 floors. And the columns on the bottom half of the Tower were way thicker than the top so it'll sway in the wind, and still there was no hesitation. They must really think we were born yesterday.""

Here is the problem with Glenn Beck and Limbaugh too. Our country is founded on the principle and legal requirement that the person who is elected to be president is the leader of our country. If we don't like the job he (sorry Hillary) we can vote him out of office at the next election. While he is in office it is okay to disagree with his policies and his behavior through protests, op-eds, broadcasts and other means of communication. However, when you get to promoting rebellion it crosses the line from protests to sedition which is illegal. Beck and Limbaugh have crossed the line. They have promoted rebellion against the democratically elected government of the United States.

Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. Treason is the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state, giving aid to enemies, or levying war against one's state. Sedition is encouraging one's fellow citizens to rebel against their state, whereas treason is actually betraying one's country by aiding and abetting another state. Sedition laws somewhat equate to terrorism and public order laws.

If you don't believe what I am saying I invite you to listen to what Beck and Limbaugh have been saying since Obama's election. Freedom of speech should not trump the need for respect for our constitution concerning how we select our government and how we change it. Promoting rebellion is over the line. Their crap has to be toned down.

Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), called on Jones to quit or be fired, saying, "His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration or the public debate.">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

is this guy serious? does he know how extreme and coarse his party and it's leaders have been even before they lost the election? you can turn on the news on everyday and see a clip of a republican playing to the fears of the extreme right of their party. its a fact that most Americans question what happened on 9/11 and after. im not saying the government planned it or let it happen but i feel as if we are still missing several pieces of the puzzle

Check again sparky. The latest Gallup polls indicate that Obama's approval numbers have improved 5 percent in the last week. People are getting wise to the lies from the right. The Republicans don't have anyone who could come close to Obama if an election were held today. Having said that Obama needs to get over this foolish notion that he can achieve bipartisan solutions to the nation's problems. The GOP caused all these problems so they should be the last ones he goes to for solutions. Find the best Democratic solution and roll with it.

There is a lot more to this "GE" story, than this. Why don't you ask some of our soldiers about it? They will set you straight. And OMG, it has nothing to do with a stupid statue. Nice try though. You do need to do more research on GE. I just replaced all appliances this past 2 weeks and I made sure, not to buy GE.
=========================
"""If he suppots boycotting Glenn Beck, he has my support. It is a huge irony for the Republicans to be complaining about anyone making outrageous comments and the supporting Glenn Beck who believe the General Electric is communist because there is a statue of a man with a hammer atop their building. GE is one of the most aggressive free enterprise companies in the world and yet Beck calls them a communist. In almost any other country, Beck would arrested and tried for sedition!"""

Oh great. Another COWARDLY attack by left wing librals, namely Van Jones. Van Jones is caught on tape and actually signed a 911 conspiracy petition but guess what -- it's all Glenn Beck's fault....Thought Van Jones was sorry. He's not sorry, he's a vindictive bully....People have caught on and are so tired of fear tactics from the left racist librals.....I doubt these sponsors hold much stock in this racist bully. Glenn Beck's ratings are sky high....This statedgy Van is using here, is one that has been used since the 1960's.

"""Notably, Beck's advertisers are facing boycott calls from a group Jones helped found."""

"I think that everyone in Washington...democrat, republican, gay, independent, should be fired. NOW! The prevalent attitude amongst elected officials is that they belong to an elite "club" that once they are in it they are there for life. They don't care what you or I think."

Dude - I think you're onto something. It's called Democracy. We get to vote. I do. You do. It's all good. You win a few, you lose a lot.

Call me a clone but I like this President.
And I've got his back - not because I believe in the man - but because I believe in what I voted for.

The USA's experiment in limited democracy was kind of good while it lasted (if you don't mind genocide against Native Americans and chattel slavery and segregation, to name a few problems that have always been part of the experiment).

It is being destroyed before our eyes by the spirit of party - as its founders, almost to a man, feared it would.

There were a few "golden ages" but each came with a cost. The 1830's were a great time for "mechanics", provided they were of northern and western European ancestry. Alas, they were a bad time for the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw and Chikasaw peoples (see: "Trail of Tears").

The late 1930's and the 1940's were a time when industrial laborers found a place at the table of economic plenty (though the fledgling middle class status this brought to many Irish, Italian and East European workers didn't do a thing for African-Americans).

The 1950's and 60's saw a rising tide that lifted all boats in the USA, as our healthy industrial plant competed against a world ravaged by two world wars fought on their soil, not ours.

Since then, the investor class in the USA has made great strides in wealth acquisition. The class which exchanges its labor for wages and salaries, nada. You're about where you were in 1976.

And now the teabaggers, and their Democratic equivalents, slowly, surely, bring the experiment to a close.

The Posts' coverage of Van Jones is late, uniformative, and mostly limited to the blogs. This party line coverage coupled with the call for the tax cheat Rangel to merely step down as Ways and Means chair fully exposes their inability to fairly and consistently cover issues across ideological lines.
If you are a public figure and a democrat who is going to lie, cheat, be a racist, or not pay your taxes, this is the paper you want covering you.

Van Jones should not resign of be fired. The Republican fringe party and Glen Beck are losers who are looking for anything they can twist into an issue of hysteria for their duped followers. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

This Van Jones affair will definitely put the kibosh on ObamaCare. While oDumbo wants America to pay attention to his neurotic need for attention while he tries to 'educate' Americans in his pedantic way, average Americans will be paying more attention on the America-hating principles of the members of BO's kitchen cabinet.

I think that everyone in Washington...democrat, republican, gay, independent, should be fired. NOW! The prevalent attitude amongst elected officials is that they belong to an elite "club" that once they are in it they are there for life. They don't care what you or I think.

It has to be State by State, district by district...make each person elected pledge to go to Washington, read and study bills.

Require them to file a synopsis online of 1 to 10 pages on any vote involving taxpayer money. They would then have a body of work to review and not a bunch of speeches to empty seats in congress.

Eliminate any amendments to bills which are not directly related to the bill's subject.

Limit all campaign spending by equal sharing of all funds donated into a federal election pool.

Overhaul the tax code and eliminate all deductions, loopholes and establish a flat tax on all income, wages, interest, bonus, dividends. Eliminate deductions for Church properties, income producing entities.

Get our military out of EVERY foreign country, close all the bases and quit sending money to these countries. Have them secure our borders and train and equip them to be the most deadly force on the planet when provoked.

Then the healthcare thing can be worked out along with charging employers of illegals to pay for health care when these people show up at a hospital and requiring them to be sent home to apply for work visas legally.

So in answer to your question, who do I propose be President, I can say that he does exist in America..among those who work hard, pay taxes and raise great kids. Those who value free enterprise and our way of life which is still the best on earth. Our poor are considered wealthy by most countries standards. I do know that Obama does not fit the bill...in 10 months he has blown it! I would however, change my mind if he came out tomorrow and said hey, forget health care until we can get the tax code fixed.....

This is just too good. I want Van Jones, Obama's true conscience, the one he can't show to America, to stay. You know hatred of America, Americans, free-market, etc. Imagine, every day the Dems will cringe at their attempts to defend this racist, Marxist, profane SOB!
But I know BO will dump this bab soon. Heck, its fun while it lasts.

It's amazing how the right-wing Republican wackos come out of the woodwork with their fanatical ranting and borderline psychotic accusations. They've managed to create a fantasized reality of their own and completely block out tangible fact. It's a case of belief trumps truth.

The Obama administration is loaded with
left wing extremists.Most of them have been appointed as Czars.Glen Beck has outed
these radicals...one at a time.The mainstream media sits on their butt and refuses to do any serious investigation and virtually ignores the story until they have to cover it.Van Jones is on tape declaring himself a commie! No vetting at the W.House:no interest at WAPO.Very Sad.

America is sick of Democrats and their lies and spending habits and they are sick of Republicans and their lies and spending habits. These two parties have become caricatures. Which is worse? I think Republicans are much worse, but what an awful choice.

Why can't we get a fiscal conservative party without a Bible agenda? I suppose the answer is that we have a Democracy, in fact and you have to buy votes or promise good versus evil or just not make sense in general.

What amazes me most in the comments on various political articles is the outburst of emotions without any common sense. Few present a reasoned out position. The majority are emotional outbursts without any thought behind it.
They “snapped” seems to be only explanation since that is the description we use when people do things and they cannot explain why.
I have many times tried to verify statements made and numbers quoted. The best I usually find is some article where an unsubstantiated claim is made. That claim is accepted as truth because it was published.
Thinking and logical reasoning are becoming extinct.

Emotional politics can only lead to disaster.
Divide and conquer politics can only lead to disaster.
It appears that these two disastrous methods have become the accepted norm
How sad for our country.

Pence is insensitive to the extremist views that Republicans have and I do not consider him a qualified monitor of such behavior. Jones made a mistake, he admitted it and has not been accused of such language now.

Dick Cheney is unrepentant for what may have been not only extremist views but what may be illegal actions.

Since when do you fire a person for their current or past beliefs?, he has broken no law and is allowed to express himself freely.

If he's doing a lousy job then can him. Otherwise, let him do his job.

There are plenty of people in government on both sides with some pretty distasteful beliefs, there are at least nine congressmen who openly profess our President to be an illegal alien, they still have their jobs.

QuimbyClone wrote:
"So Beck is just like lots of other really funny comedians.

John Wilkes Booth was a great comedian.
James Earl Ray was a laugh riot.
Sirhan Sirhan? What a cutup.
Lee Harvey Oswald? He thought it would be funny to shoot a president."
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You prove my take that you are a bomb throwing wacko from the left. Comparing Beck to assassins...where did those thoughts come from? What kind of convoluted reasoning brings you to make such statements?

ryan_heart wrote, "So when bush cheney as elected officials pushed known false intellegence (enriched uranium - mushroom clouds) that got us in a war - that was ok?"

Every parent of small children knows the answer to that sort of argument. When you catch dear little 5 year old Fred punching 3 year old Helga in the face, Fred cries out, "But what about when she snuck those three cookies last week?"

The correct answer, of course, is this: Fred, we're talking about what you did just now, not what Helga did last week.

JohnQuimby wrote:
"The sooner people realize that these guys are holding democracy hostage the better."
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Which guys do you mean? The socialists among the radical democrats? The White House appointees of Obama? The idiots in congress like Kerry, Reid, Pelosi and Frank? The other idiots in congress that passed a stimulus bill without reading the damn thing?

Yeah, who do you really think holds democracy hostage you unthinking clone? You think democracy is defined by your bomb throwing stupidity? Get a take,,,then post!

Leading Republicans?
Haw haw ha ha, you are saying they are worried about crazy paranoid lies?
I thought leading Republicans had cornered the market.

I have said Republicans are irrelevant, they are with respect to actual election results, yet we keep having to respect whatever psychotic rants they go on. Democrats are corrupt, but they are not crazy.

Glen Beck puts on a comedy show where he makes fun of the idiotic left wingers loose in the Obama White House. Liberal crybabies and sycophants hate him for pointing out the lies they live. The libs take parts of his bits out of context and rely on bumper sticker slogans to ridicule his take just like they did to demonize Bush. It is a technique taught by Alinsky and has worked for a time to get this idiot and his crew elected. Now the people are wise to this scam and ignore the assaults just as they ignore idiots like Olberman or Maher.

Left wing clones denouncing Beck does not diminish his comedic truth one iota. Fact is, when looking at Obama's appointments, his history in Chicago and his statements from the past, it would be easy to discern a racist attitude if not outright racism on his part. His administration is even more laughable than Bush! Appointing communists and socialists to top positions...are you kidding me? Cheney seems perfectly reasonable now!

Obama is not infallible! He can not walk on water! He is the least experienced and least qualified man ever elected...and that includes Bush! He is pushing an Alinsky style socialism on this country and will most definitely fail.

It won't be because Rush wants him to fail..it will be failure of old socialist ideas that the radical democrats have tried before..they always fail. America does not want big government involved in decisions of daily life they are perfectly competent to make.

Obama was a bad choice and now voters are seeing the mistake. 2010 will begin the reversal of this crap.

The repuglicans get crazier and crazier. Sure wish we had a spokesperson who could field a question. Bush DID ignore the intell, and it is possible to be so shocked by that realization that one would sign a petition or organize to find out why. People had hair on fire... FBI agents in Minnesota could not get an email to Washington. Yes, with hindsight it is pretty clear Bush Cheney was THAT incompetent, ignored the intell because it came from the Clinton people.

Noaxe397 (what happened to the other 396 Noaxes?) writes, "An Obama advisor believes Bush/Cheney may have not been as sharp as they should have been just prior to the 9/11 attacks and that is considered an insane conspiracy theory."

Um, no. Charging that Bush administration officials, to quote the petition, "may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war" is a far cry from suggesting that "Bush/Cheney may have not been as sharp as they should have been just prior to the 9/11 attacks".

If you watch one of the truther films, it is pretty easy to be convinced that there was some kind of inside job, it is also easy to see that the filmmakers conveniently leave out information in order to make their case. They put up people with seemingly good credentials to make statements about architectural structure etc. but nobody really knows who these people are or how batty their ideas are.

The only thing I cannot explain is why building 7 came down, that one still baffles me.

It is possible there was some sort of conspiracy, but I do not think it was on the part of our government, mainly because don't think someone as inept as GW could pull it off.

"There have been thousands of books, articles, films produced claiming that our governemt looked the other way and allowed Pearl Harbor to be bombed as a pretext for entry into WWII"
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Thousands??? Are you kidding me? This idiot needs to be returned to his room post haste, given his nightly medications and not allowed in the computer room for at least a year!

An Obama advisor believes Bush/Cheney may have not been as sharp as they should have been just prior to the 9/11 attacks and that is considered an insane conspiracy theory.

Republican congressman believe a duly elected president may be an illegal alien and that is mainstream and reasonable.

There have been thousands of books, articles, films produced claiming that our governemt looked the other way and allowed Pearl Harbor to be bombed as a pretext for entry into WWII. Does anyone call those authors and film makers insane conspirators?

Van Jones the green jobs boy is just one of the anti American slugs that Odumbo has installed in government positions.
What about Jeff Jones the lowlife slug who co foundedf the Weather Underground with the Obama friend and criminal Ayers?
He's with the Appollo Alliance, and they prepared Odumbo's stimulus package.
Now he's helping th nitwit governor of NY figure out how to spend our tax dollars.

How about Mark Lloyd, a Chavez supporter who is now, as diversity guru for the FCC, attacking radio stations and their first amendment rights.

No doubt there are many more of these pieces of human debris that Odumbo has positioned.

I can't believe that after all that has been proven about the bush administration, that anyone can say they had nothing to do with it. They had the means, motive and opportunity. I know that is painful to accept the reality of the situation, but it is time for everyone to look at the math. The story we are being told is impossible on so many levels. If there is nothing to hide, then why are they trying so hard to hide it?

As an avid supporter of President Obama I yield to no one in my loathing of Glenn Beck.

I also fervently believe that anyone who would accuse any US elected official of either party, or any member of an elected official's administration, of complicity in the 9/11 attacks is unfit to serve in government at any level.

That's right, you only need half a brain to understand what the PNAC Mafia has done to us. To bad the smart people are to dumb to see it. You're blinded by all of that phony conservative Republican talk. Don't you know that Republicans like that don't exist in our Government anymore? They sold out to the corporate fascist machine. The multi-nationals run our country now. They're the real Government.

As Team Obama demonstrates daily for all to see, WE MADE A VERY BAD MISTAKE IN NOVEMBER 2008!! How in the world can Van Jones even get a White House security clearance??? Or, is there a bit of 'skating' going on that existed with the appointment of tax cheats?

I for one hope Obama doesn't get rid of Van Jones. Obama has said in the past that we are to judge him by those he selects to serve with, and for, him. Everyone of the "czars" have been handpicked -- and/or -- approved directly by the president. These folks after all are higher up in the pecking order than heads of federal departments. Anyone who has written to castigate those that have exposed Jones for who and what he is are no better than Jones. Jones is an avowed Communist, not my words -- his words, and he is a blatant racist, clear by his actions and words on many occasions -- you can't erase the recorded word. So lets hope that Obama keeps Jones on the payroll, and all the other radicals he's surrounded himself with so the conservatives will have a continuing bell to ring and that nothing else gets done by this thug filled administration.

Let Obama keep Van Jones.
Obama supports this man, and B.O. knew what he was hiring when he hired this screwball.

He's the kind of wing-nut that represents Obama's typical supporter. Van Jones begins his spiel by pretending to be rational. Then the craziness gets loose, and the loony, pro-cop-killer unwinds his racist insanity.

Just like most Obama supporters. They turn loose with profanities directed towards their political opponents.

Is it not disgusting enough to have a radical communist, Van Jones, as a handpicked advisor to the Leader of the Free World but now we find out he is a psycho 9/11 'Truther' too. He believes the U.S. Government was responsible for 9/11. That we fired a missile at the Pentagon. That our own Air Force shot down flight 93. etc.

Equally as ridiculous is when Van Jones said:

"We're really entering a third wave of environmentalism in the United States. The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people of color communities."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6gOmIalJVw

Race seems to be a part of nearly everything Jones says. Does anyone really believe that white people are intentionally poisoning minorities? Wasn't the Obama administration supposed to be the beginning of a "post-racial" America? Why does he have "special advisors" out there openly attempting to create an even bigger racial divide with hate and lies?

If he suppots boycotting Glenn Beck, he has my support. It is a huge irony for the Republicans to be complaining about anyone making outrageous comments and the supporting Glenn Beck who believe the General Electric is communist because there is a statue of a man with a hammer atop their building. GE is one of the most aggressive free enterprise companies in the world and yet Beck calls them a communist. In almost any other country, Beck would arrested and tried for sedition!

Is it not disgusting enough to have a radical communist, Van Jones, as a handpicked advisor to the Leader of the Free World but now we have to have a psycho 9/11 'Truther' too. He believes the U.S. Government was responsible for 9/11. That we fired a missile at the Pentagon. That our own Air Force shot down flight 93. etc.

Equally as ridiculous is when Van Jones said:

"We're really entering a third wave of environmentalism in the United States. The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people of color communities."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6gOmIalJVw

Race seems to be a part of nearly everything Jones says. Does anyone really believe that white people are intentionally poisoning minorities? Wasn't the Obama administration supposed to be the beginning of a "post-racial" America? Why does he have "special advisors" out there openly attempting to create an even bigger racial divide?

He shouldn't have to apologize for anything. Bush and that sick terrorist Cheney are the ones that should be on their knees begging for forgiveness. They're the ones that killed all of those people on 9,11. Anyone with half a brain can see that those Towers didn't fall on their own. Look at the North Tower. The top 14 floors tip over (from fire, plane, or whatever reason) and it blows apart 96 "undamaged floors" without the slightest bit on hesitation. Like the energy from 14 floors tipping over wouldn't dissipate through the destruction of 96 floors. And the columns on the bottom half of the Tower were way thicker than the top so it'll sway in the wind, and still there was no hesitation. They must really think we were born yesterday.

Based on his past positions and statements, Van Jones is as radical as Reverend Wright. The fact that he was selected as Czar suggests that the Obama administration knew he could never make it through Congressional hearings or extremely incompetent in vetting him. Regardless, it flies in the face of Obama's campaign promise of bringing the country together, and his appointment of a record number of Czars demonstrates that he isn't particularly concerned about being accountable.

Fox News host Glenn Beck has been a leading voice in the criticism. (Notably, Beck's advertisers are facing boycott calls from a group Jones helped found.)

Doesn't take away from the fact that Glenn Beck called the President a rascist and advertisers bailed out of his show. I am not part of any group and I personally called advertisers myself to say that they should withdraw their ads from that ding bat's show. If Van gets dump that beck should get dump and Pence is a hypocrite if he doesn't called for Glenn Beck's dumping unless he agrees with him.

That is funny that you use that term, because gallup.com has Obama up 5% in the last 4 days, how is that "free falling?" If it isn't "free falling" why do you perpetuate that lie?"
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An astute observer would also note that they have upped their "party affiliation adjustment" of the actual numbers from '+4% democrats sampled' to '+14% democrats'. Same for CBS.
The most accurate poll, nationally & state-by-state-, in the 2008 Presidential Election was Rassmussen. Check his numbers out, clown.

These days, it's hard to imagine a Yale grad who doesn't believe those things. Recently Yale Press published a tome about the flap over the cartoons of the "Prophet" in Denmark, but the fairy Dons refused to publish the pictures they were describing. Jones is probably a closet Holocaust denier too.

The problem with Van Jones is that he's like a piece of yarn sticking out of a sweater. If Obama lets him (or makes him) resign, Fox/Beck will put one notch in their belt and lock in the targets on the next-most-controversial "czar." In a world with Google and a White House without vetters, it's not going to take them long to find more outlandish audio, video, or text. Turn on the Fox/Drudge/Rush spin cycle until another political appointee resigns, chalk up another notch, and start over. There's blood in the water, boys, and the sharks can smell it.

When McCain announced his choice of Sarah Palin, a lot of people in the press went ballistic. How dare he pick someone who had not been properly vetted? The argument was that his hasty choice revealed his poor judgment, which meant America should not trust him with a post as important as the Presidency. One wishes Obama had learned a little more from that incident.

I only say dump him because he apoligized. It is a theory, I subscribe to it, and think it should be investigated. And, any body talking about the crazies and hate speech in the present administration is a dumb elephant hypocrite.

This must be from the Onion. Republicons crying about an Obama administration offical saying something that they think is untrue and now must resign. After all the repubs lying about health care reform, hypocritical mo fros. He should resign for apologizing.

I'm Glad Beck is getting targeted, Beck is the most cowardly, lyin' sack of cybaby $hiite I've ever come across in my life.

Posted by: JRM2 | September 4, 2009 3:26 PM

Okay....I don't care what you think of Glen Beck or anyone else for that matter, but how can you dispute the FACT that Jones DID say and do the things that he's been, "accused" of????
Wake UP, America!!!

Wow. If even Gibbs won't try to spin Team Obama out of this disastrous appointment, Jones is surely toast before too long.
At first I didn't think it was possible for Obama to disavow and distance himself from a (fellow) African-American socialist, but I hear Rev Wright says there's plenty more room under the bus. Maybe Van's headed that way, too.

Gibbs is off the chart dull. Keep your chin up guys, the clock is ticking and that's your best friend. Don't take your eyes off the ball. Radicals in this administration are like ants, keep the raid handy.

"Notably, Beck's advertisers are facing boycott calls from a group Jones helped found."

Garance, you're letting your bias show. Even a little research by you would show that Glenn Beck's criticism of Van Jones predates Jones' group's boycott of Beck. If anything, the boycott is payback for Beck's criticism, not the other way around.